The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-08-26
THE WILSON-McGILL CONTRO.
VERSY.
jWinona Republican

The statement made bv Gov. McGIll
in reply to the recent letter OF Judge
Wilson charging him with gross negli-
gence or corrupt motive in approving
the bill abating taxes on certain lands
granted to the st. Paul and Chicago rail
road company will doubtless receive the
attention at the hands of the public with
the nature the case demands. The Gov
ernor, IN our judgment, has made very
satisfactory presentation Of the case so
far as his connection with the bill was
concerned. 1t is frank, manly and good
tempered. He expresses his conviction
that not only was the bill in question
passed without the exercise Of uniue in
huence. but that as measure of public
policy it resulted beneficially to the
State. To the same purport is the letter
of Hon. Gordon E. Cole. who drew the
bill, the material points in which letter
will be found in the Republican herewith.
While Mr.. Cole was the attorney for the
st. Paul and Chicago company, in whose
interest the bill WIS in the main framed,
and while his presentation of the case
may therefore in some respects be taken
cum grano sails, nevertheless it must lie
admitted that like Judge Wilson him
self, he is q gentleman of the highest
personal character and reliability, and
tnat whatever statement of fact he may
make of his own knowledge is entitled
to unlimited credence. The conclusion
ID consequently inevitable from what
has been said by Mr.. Cole that neither
corrupt motive nor dereliction of duty
can justly be charged against Gov. Nc
Gill in the matter under consideration.
On the contrary he appears to have ia
ken every necessary and possible pre-
State consonant with the circumstances
by which he found himself surrounded.
But while in the minds of all fair mind
ed persons there can, in view of the facts
now made public ia response to Judge |
Wilson's letter, remain no 81 picion of
the pei sOnal good faith or the official |
vigilance of the executive officer of the |
State, there still remains ground for an |
honest difference Of opinion as to the |
wisdom and expediency of that peculiar |
kind Of legislation in connection with |
the approval of which he has been i'm
pliedly censured, This, however, car
RES us back to the law-making power it
self-the peoples chosen representatives
and opens up a field of discussion
which 1t is not our purpose now to en-
ter. For the present it must suffice to
observe that corporate power and in
fiuence have too long held almost I'M
sway at our various seats of
N nj nd do. 70 70
say that-regardless of the immediate
benefits which may have accrued to the
State from its passage-the bill which
has given rise to the present discussion
is one of the most fragrant exemplifica-
tons of the fact. But to hold Gov. Nc
Gill, or ex-Attorney General Hahn, re-
sponsible for the condition of things
which led to this particular result, is not
only unjust in itself, but it is as useless
as q remedv as to attempt to make water
run up hill. The fault lies with the peo-
pie themselves-of both parties. So
|ong as they elect weak and inexperi-
enced not to say unprincipled men to
represent them in the law-making body
md in other places of responsibility and
trust, just 30 long may they expect to
have their public servants outwitted and
heir most cherished purposes thwarted
through the superior acuteness and the
persuasive Establishments of the always
able and often inscriptions men who
combine with a view to utilizing the
wheels of government for the populsion
Of their own private machinery. If
Judge Wilson's censorious letter shall
cad to a general contemplation of the
subject from this broad standpoint, it's
publication will have accomplished a
much needed awakening. If. on the
other hand, it merely turns the minds
of its readers into the Old and narrow
ruts of partisan pickering and calumny,
t bad far better never have been writ
en-.